Giants first base coach Roberto Kelly was struck in the back of the head by a line drive during batting practice at AT&T Park on Saturday. He went down hard, immediately losing consciousness, and had to be taken to a local hospital on a stretcher.

But it sounds like he’ll make a full recovery.

According to Janie McCauley of the Associated Press, Kelly was sent home after only an hour or two in the hospital. He has a concussion, but he wants to be on the field for Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday night against the Cardinals and he could get his wish if team doctors clear him beforehand.

Kelly, a former major league outfielder, has been the Giants’ first base coach since November 2007.

Of all the people that walk on the field during a baseball game I would think the 1st base coach would be the easiest to replace. With that in mind I hope he is fully healed if he takes his place in the coaches box tonight. His health and safety are more important than any one baseball game.

I’m glad he wasn’t seriously hurt. For those who don’t remember, this is the player the Yankees traded to get Paul O’Neill. The Reds later dealt him to Atlanta for Deion Sanders (anyone remember him?).